How to Use the Soft Pedal on a Piano

The soft pedal, or una corda pedal, is the left pedal on the piano. When the soft pedal is pressed on a grand piano, it shifts the keyboard to the right only allowing one or two strings to be hit by the hammers. On an upright piano, the hammers come down to a lower position so they hit the strings more lightly. Both actions soften the sound of the notes played.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Piano

1. Place your left foot on the left piano pedal. The ball of your foot should rest on the pedal and it should be in line with your big toe.
2. Keep your heel on the floor so you have the ability to press and release the soft pedal when necessary.
3. Press the soft pedal down before playing a note. The hammers on the piano need re-positioning before hitting the strings.
4. Play as many notes as you would like while keeping your foot on the pedal.
5. Release the pedal when you are ready to end the muted affect. Once the pedal is removed, the hammers go back to their original positions.

Tips & Warnings

• The soft pedal is usually used to create a specific effect while playing a piece of music.
• Although the soft pedal softens the sound quality of the notes played, you can easily play softly without using the soft pedal. A soft touch on a key will produce a lighter sound as a heavy touch will produce a louder sound.
• You cannot press the soft pedal after a key has been pressed to soften the sound. The hammer has already hit the strings at this point, so you must press the pedal before playing the notes.